The offensive, the first of its kind by any side in the conflict since March 2020 Idlib ceasefire, resulted in the rapid capture of dozens of villages by the opposition forces.
Among others, there were Syrian National Army (SNA) units[16] such as the Northern Storm Brigade, Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, and Sham Legion.
[13] Various Islamist and jihadist militias also took part in the operation, including Ajnad al-Kavkaz,[14] Liwa al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar,[14][15] Mujahidin Ghuroba Division and Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.
One Syrian Army colonel later argued that the Aleppo-based troops had previously relied on Hezbollah and Iranian officers for operational command, but these had been largely withdrawn from Syria at the time of the opposition offensive.
Several important commanders, including Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps general Kioumars Pourhashemi,[16][37] were killed in the attack, greatly impacting the local leadership.
[16] Some military formations, including the 25th Special Mission Forces Division and Republican Guard, were hastily sent to reinforce the city, and took up position at several strategic locations such as the Citadel of Aleppo.
[17] As the insurgents attacked, they initially bypassed heavily fortified strongholds like the Military Academy and Artillery College in favor of a speedy advance deep into Aleppo.
[32] By midnight, opposition forces had captured parts of Al-Sukariyya, Al-Furqan, Al-Adhamiya, and Saif al-Dawla districts, and claimed to have had taken control of the main square of Aleppo.
[39][40][41] Around this time, the rebels also approached the Neirab camp where the local loyalist garrison consisting of Liwa al-Quds troops retreated without organizing resistance.
[56] Also on 1 December, the Russian Air Force conducted an airstrike on the Aleppo University Hospital, killing 12 people, injuring two journalists.
[58] The Kurdish enclave inside the city, namely the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, were besieged by the rebels, with the approximately 100,000 residents facing "dwindling food supplies and a lack of services".
[9] In the days after the battle, while the Syrian Salvation Government was trying to establish itself in the city, Aleppo residents were facing shortages of bread and fuel, and cut telecom services.